Real Madrid have played in the Club World Cup or the Intercontinental Cup in five different decades. While the competition has not defined the club’s modern history as has been the case with the UEFA Champions League, they’ve still enjoyed the sweet taste of success on the global stage on numerous occasions.
This year’s Club World Cup will be the biggest yet, and Los Blancos are one of 31 teams to have already confirmed their place in the competition which will take place in the United States.
The final slot will be awarded to the winners of a play-off between Liga MX side Club America and MLS outfit LAFC. According to the latest odds from Liga MX betting sites and apps, the CONCACAF sides are not expected to be among the leading contenders in what will effectively be a home tournament for US qualifiers Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders. Mexican clubs Pachuca and Monterrey are also likely to attract huge support at their matches.
A European winner looks to be the most likely outcome, with Real Madrid recently installed as the favourites to win the competition, as the club bids to appoint Xabi Alonso as their new coach in time for the opening game against Al Hilal in Miami on June 18th.
Real Madrid’s Club World Cup story
1960s – Contrasting fortunes against Peñarol
Real Madrid’s first taste of competitive football against teams outside of Europe came in the 1960s. They twice appeared in the Intercontinental Cup in that decade, and on both occasions took on Peñarol of Uruguay.
The 1960 edition was the first staging of a competition designed to crown the club world champions, and having just won their fifth European Cup in as many years, it was no surprise that Real Madrid won it, triumphing 5-1 in the second leg at what was then the Chamartin Stadium, after a goalless draw in Montevideo two months earlier.
Peñarol would get their revenge six years later however, claiming 2-0 victories in both legs of the 1966 final against Miguel Muñoz’s side.
1990s – Los Blancos end 38-year wait for global glory
The Spaniards ended a 32-year wait for another European Cup in 1998, and their reward was an opportunity to be crowned world champions in what by this point was a one-off Intercontinental Cup final against Vasco da Gama.
The game, played out in front of more than 50,000 fans in Tokyo, was a good contest and it was level heading into the final 30 minutes after Juninho Pernambucano, better known in Europe for his time at Lyon, equalised for the Brazilians.
Madrid legend Raul sealed victory seven minutes from time though, as Los Blancos conquered the world for the second time.
2000s – 4th in Brazil, but another title in 2002
Prior to this summer’s much-expanded edition, the biggest Club World Cup to date took place in Brazil in January 2000 and Real Madrid qualified by virtue of their Intercontinental Cup triumph two years earlier.
While European clubs have tended to dominate the competition in recent years, this was a tournament to forget for both Real Madrid and Manchester United, the only European participants. Neither made the final, with United knocked out in the group stage, while Los Blancos were beaten in the 3rd/4th place play-off on penalties by Necaxa of Mexico.
They didn’t fare any better in the Intercontinental Cup which was held later that year in Japan, with two Martin Palermo goals sealing a 2-1 victory for Boca Juniors.
That was the last time Real Madrid lost a Club World Cup or Intercontinental Cup match, and they won the latter for the third time by defeating Olimpia of Paraguay 2-0 in 2002.
2010s – Four wins in five years
Real Madrid’s wait for ‘la decima’ in Europe meant they didn’t return to the global stage until 2014, by which point FIFA had settled on a seven-team knockout format. A short trip to Morocco was a successful one, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side defeating Cruz Azul of Mexico, and San Lorenzo of Argentina to win the trophy without conceding a goal.
They then secured a hat-trick of Club World Cup wins, to go with their hat-trick of Champions League wins between 2016 and 2018.
The Spanish giants won six out of six during that period in the tournament, although they were taken to extra time by Kashima Antlers in the 2016 final, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick ultimately sealing victory.
2020s – Madrid part of an expanded Club World Cup
Real Madrid won an eight-goal thriller in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final against Al Hilal, as braces from Fede Valverde and Vinicius Junior put the Saudi side to the sword.
That tournament then reverted back to its former name in 2024, with Real Madrid seeing off Pachuca 3-0 in Qatar last December, with Vinicius, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe all scoring.
However, the new-look 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be by far the biggest edition yet, in terms of its size, scale and the huge amounts of prize money on offer to each of the participants.
For Real Madrid, it’s an opportunity to move on from a difficult season, and set some foundations in place for the 2025/26 campaign. It remains to be seen whether they can get deals for Alonso and Trent Alexander-Arnold completed in time for their trip across the Atlantic, but both would be very welcome boosts.
